Health Sciences First Year, Take The First Step
 The Health Sciences First Year programme (HSFY) is the
foundation year for the five professional programmes:
dentistry, medical laboratory science, medicine, pharmacy
and physiotherapy. HSFY is taught by departments across
the University that excel in their areas of expertise, making
it an excellent way to begin a degree in Biomedical Science
or any of the broad range of biological sciences at Otago.
HSFY is great preparation for students seeking admission
to the degree programmes in Oral Health, Dental Technology
or Medical Radiation Therapy.
“The great thing about taking Health Sciences First Year was that I got
to keep my options open while I was finding out what I was really
interested in.”
Nicola Flaherty BMLSc
Medical Laboratory Scientist
Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) should be
your first year of university study. If you are
considering tertiary study before enrolling
in the HSFY programme you are strongly
advised to contact the Health Sciences
Admissions Office beforehand. Failure to do
so could jeopardise your enrolment into this
programme.
What is the Health Sciences First
Year programme?
Health Sciences First Year is a programme
only available at Otago, to be completed in
its entirety in the first year of your university
study. HSFY consists of seven compulsory
papers plus the option to take an eighth paper
in Humanities. It is a busy year and the
timetable includes lectures, tutorials,
laboratories, assignments, tests and readings
every week.
What will I study?
The compulsory papers cover a wide range
of fields in science and biological science and
are taught by staff from departments across
the university. The papers in the HSFY
programme collectively give a strong
foundation in the biological sciences and teach
you about how the normal healthy body
functions at various levels: from the physical,
chemical, biochemical, molecular and cellular
levels, through to functional organ systems
and factors affecting health and disease in
human populations.
Compulsory papers
There are seven compulsory papers, which are as follows.
- BIOC192: Foundations of Biochemistry
- CELS191: Cell and Molecular Biology
- CHEM191: The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health
- HEAL192: Foundations of Epidemiology
- HUBS191: Human Body Systems I
- HUBS192: Human Body Systems II
- PHSI191: Biological Physics
All HSFY students will be required to pass a
compulsory English diagnostic test in the first
semester. Students who do not pass the test will be
required to take ENGL 126 English for
University Purposes.
For more information about the Health Sciences English Diagnostic Test, please go to the test's Frequently Asked Questions page.
Optional Eighth paper
Students may also study an optional
Humanities paper during semester two,
selected from the approved list.
Background required
There are no subject requirements for entry
into HSFY but we strongly recommend you
take chemistry, physics and biology at Year 13.
Dispensation for prior university
study
If an application for enrolment to HSFY is
made by someone who has prior university
study, a dispensation may be granted, but only
if that study has not duplicated any portion
of the material in the HSFY course.
Career Opportunities
The Health Sciences First Year is the gateway to
a career in healthcare or medical and biomedical
research. These careers provide opportunities to
work in private practice, community clinics, hospitals,
academia, research institutions, industry and the
emergency services.
By the end of the Health Sciences First Year, you
should have developed:
- a sense of the interconnectedness between
different fields of knowledge in the health
sciences.
- a sound understanding of broader principles
and concepts underpinning all of the biomedical
and life sciences.
- a strengthened understanding, commitment,
excitement, and enthusiasm for science and the
scientific method.
- an awareness of why this knowledge is relevant
to the study of ill-health.
What next?
During HSFY you may apply for admission into
any of the five professional programmes so you
can become a doctor, dentist, pharmacist,
physiotherapist or medical laboratory scientist.
Applications for entry for these programmes close
on 1 October each year.
If you are seeking a career in Dental Technology,
Oral Health or Medical Radiation Therapy you
can use HSFY as a pathway for admission.
Applications for the Bachelor of Oral Health and
Bachelor of Dental Technology programmes close
on 1 November each year, and applications for
entry into the Medical Radiation Therapy
programme close on 15 September each year.
You may find that as you explore the wide range
of subjects presented during HSFY you discover
new areas of interest. There are many opportunities
at Otago after HSFY, as papers from the
programme can be credited towards a vast range
of sciences, commerce, law and arts degrees.
How do I apply for entry to a
professional programme?
Application information for entry into the Health
Sciences professional programmes is available at
www.otago.ac.nz/healthsciences. Information is
distributed to HSFY students upon enrolment
and throughout the year. Each professional
programme has specific criteria for admission from
HSFY. Apart from HSFY, there are also alternative
pathways of seeking admission to the professional
programmes. Contact the Health Sciences
Admissions Office or visit the website for
information about these options.
Regulations
The HSFY and the admission to the Health
Sciences professional programmes are governed
by university regulations that are contained in the
University of Otago Calendar and updated annually.
Students should read these regulations and be
familiar with the policies and procedures used to
implement them.
NICOLA FLAHERTY
All Nicola Flaherty knew when she started
university was that she wanted to study something
in the health sciences area.
 “The great thing about taking Health Sciences
First Year was that I got to keep my options open
while I was finding out what I was really interested
in,” she says. “I think lots of people have a narrow
focus on the best known courses and don’t really
investigate the other choices.”
Nicola discovered she had a strong affinity with
Medical Laboratory Science. “I chose it because
I have a problem-solving mind. Medical Laboratory
Science is essentially making patient diagnoses,
but in the laboratory. I didn’t know anything about
it when I started university, but I completely love
it now.”
Her advice to HSFY students is to keep an open
mind and explore all the options available: “You
never know what subject you might fall in love
with.”
Further information
Health Sciences Admissions Office, PO Box 647, Dunedin,
New Zealand
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